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Flyers rally past Bruins; Bergeron injured

Oct 28, 2007 - 12:40 AM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Bruins lost one of their best players to a devastating hit from behind, then lost the game to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Mike Richards and Joffrey Lupul scored second-period goals to lead the Flyers to a 2-1 victory over the Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden on Saturday.

Patrice Bergeron was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after being driven head-first into the end boards by Flyers defenseman Randy Jones with 3:53 remaining in the first period.

"Words really can't express the way I feel right now," Jones said through a team spokesman. "I am very apologetic for the hit and what I did. It was not intentional. It is something I have never done before and it is not part of my character."

Bergeron was diagnosed with a concussion and broken nose. Team physician Dr. Bert Zarins said initial tests at the hospital indicated no further damage to his head or neck and Bergeron had regained full feeling and motion in his extremities.

"That's just an innocent play by Randy Jones," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "I've had Randy Jones for a long time here. He's just going in there trying to defend and make contact, and the last thing on his mind is trying to go run somebody and cause injuries."

The crowd sat in stunned silence for nearly 15 minutes as team doctors and trainers tended to Bergeron, cutting open his jersey and pads to treat him on the ice before wheeling him off on a stretcher.

"I am extremely sorry," Jones said. "I hope he does OK and everything works out for him. I wish him nothing but the best in his recovery."

Bruins coach Claude Julien was not interested in retaliation.

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Julien said. "We've always heard that. I don't think you have to reply with the same type of dirty hit. We just had to reply with a good, solid effort.

"We still went out and played a good, physical game, and that's all we could do. I don't think a tooth for a tooth, in that matter, would have resolved anything."

After three failed power-play chances, Boston opened the scoring at 7:51 of the second period.

Marco Sturm scored his fourth goal of the season when he beat goaltender Martin Biron, who could not contain defenseman Zdeno Chara's slap shot from the high slot.

The Bruins were on their fifth power play when the game's momentum turned less than two minutes later.

Chara lost control of the puck inside Philadelphia's blue line, and Richards grabbed it and raced in on netminder Tim Thomas, beating him between the pads to tie the game at 1-1.

Boston's captain, Chara admitted it was a bit difficult for the team to concentrate on the contest after Bergeron's injury.

"It was hard to see him down, and it took a while for the trainers to put him on a stretcher, but at the same time, you have to put it aside and try to focus on the game," Chara said.

Philadelphia converted its first power-play chance when Boston was called for too many men on the ice midway through the second. Richards' slap shot was controlled behind the net by Daniel Briere, who fed Lupul in the left faceoff circle.

Lupul's wrist shot made its way between Thomas' pads with seven minutes left in the session, giving the Flyers a one-goal advantage. It was Lupul's fourth goal of the season.

Biron made the slim advantage stand, denying the Bruins the rest of the way. He finished with 38 saves to halt the Flyers' two-game skid.

"The first period was where we wanted to come out strong, and we did," Biron said. "Even though we only had four shots, we had a few scoring chances and limited their scoring chances to the outside. It gave us the rhythm that we wanted for the game."

Thomas stopped 26 shots for Boston.